Human Weapon
by Boomerang Fish
Summary: After a rescue mission gone wrong Cressida struggles to regain her memory. But it's never that simple, and time is running out - both for her and for the Icemark. Icemark x Uglies
1. Invasion

**A/N:** _This is the first time I've posted a real, serious story, with a plot, for the Icemark Chronicles. I don't know if this will fly, or not, but here's the basic summary. No wait! You'll have to read it! I'll tell you one thing though; it's a crossover between the Icemark Chronicles and the Uglies Trilogy. I would really appreciate it if you reviewed. The little dashed lines mean a change of POV and/or scene. Cressida's POV is in first person, and anyone else's POV is in third. About the weird title...Specials are basically human weapons...if I told you more I'd spoil the story for you._

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Uglies Trilogy (property of Scott Westerfeld) or the Icemark Chronicles (property of Stuart Hill). However, I do own the plot of this story and any OCs I might put in. Not planning on many, though.

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**Human Weapon**

**By Boomerang Fish**

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**Chapter One - Invasion**

The citizens of Old Haven, or those who weren't leaving for the Southern Continent, had lined the main street down to the harbor. They were there to watch as Prince Charlemagne and the first group of refugees set off for their new home. My brother was supposed to be the king of the refugees when they were in exile. I had to admit, he didn't look the part. No armor or huge warhorse for Sharley. He was dressed in black like Dad and riding a quiet little horse that nodded its head when it walked. Kind of like a chicken, I guess.

My parents were riding together, my mother on Havoc, her charger, and my father on his mule Jenny. Eodred and Cerdic were talking excitedly about the coming war as they had been for days. Yes, excitedly. They wanted to fight. I wanted to defend our land from the Empire too, but in no way did I _look forward_ to the battle. You had to be stark raving mad to want to go to war with the Empire's unstoppable army. Maybe they were just acting like this to cover up the fact that they were scared too.

I was talking as well, but about defenses with a smelly, grumpy little engineer named Archimedo Archimedes. Which I found odd, since my little brother was about to leave for a faraway land and I might never see him again. I felt detached from the events.

Sharley and my dad said their goodbyes to each other and then Sharley rode to the other side of the square to wait.

"People of the Icemark, behold my son, Charlemagne Aethelstan Redrought Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, Prince Regent to the Exiles, and my beloved child" that was my mother "In this time of grave crisis I send him this day to be your leader in the Southern Continent until such time as our enemies are defeated and you can return to your homes…" she paused. I glanced at the horizon, and saw a small black dot speeding closer to the town. I couldn't make out exactly what it was, but it sure wasn't a bird. It paused, then turned and flew off. I was _positive_ that I'd seen a person…but that was impossible.

My mother continued, "Know you all that in exile Prince Charlemagne is entrusted with the full power of the Lindenshield monarchy. His word is law. His thought is your action. His anger brings death. Look upon him now and tremble!" But I wasn't listening anymore. I was straining to hear an almost inaudible buzzing noise that was getting louder. Was I going mad?

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Tally Youngblood listened to the happenings in Old Haven's square through her skintenna. The night before, Specials had placed bugs in the square, citadel, and the planning room of the barracks, and the smart software was translating every word into Polypontian as it was said and broadcasting it to the Cutters' skintennas.

She listened as the Queen of the Icemark made a speech about her son. Every word said sounded in Tally's head closer than being there. The element of surprise was definitely on their side.

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I sat on my horse in Old Haven's square listening to the buzzing get louder. What _was_ it? I kept my eyes glued to the horizon hoping whatever made the noise would appear. Hoping it would appear? I should have been hoping they _wouldn't_.

As I watched, several craft appeared. They were round-ish and had a large propeller on top; that was all I could see from this distance. The propellers were the ones making the noise. Flying along with the propeller machines were other craft. These craft were black and bristling with guns. They were held aloft by a propeller on each of four corners.

As they got closer, I could see details. The propeller machines were mottled green and brown and had machine guns on both sides. The people were all too focused on my mother to notice until the machines were flying over the town.

Someone noticed and screamed. My mother spun around just as the leading machine's guns fired into a building at the edge of the square. Townsfolk dove for cover as the building shuddered and collapsed. The fleet of machines broke apart and flew over all corners of the town, firing at the buildings and the ships floating in the harbor. One of the cannonballs landed just in front of me, creating an explosion that tore up the street. My horse reared and threw me off and I whacked my head on the cobblestones. Dazed, I lay there as people rushed past me. Dimly I heard explosions and the sounds of collapsing buildings. _Were my parents all right? My brothers? Sharley? _

Then somebody kicked me in the head and I blacked out.

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I came to a little bit later. There was no noise.

The square was silent. I smelled the acrid scent of smoke. And my head _hurt_.

The Empire had invaded! They were here! I had to fight! I tried to raise my head and the view of the world spun. I looked to either side…and froze. I dropped my head to the ground and lay still. Not stiff still, relaxed still. _Dead_ still. Coming towards me were four figures, two boys and two girls. Three of them were dressed in uniforms of gray silk, and the fourth was in the uniform of a Polypontian officer. What struck me as odd was that the figures in gray were unarmed as far as I could tell.

I held my breath.

They reached me and stopped. One prodded me with the toe of their boot. "Dead" the boot's owner pronounced, and the soldiers continued on. Only when I thought they were far enough away did I breathe again.

I tried to get up, but froze again when I heard sounds coming from near the bay. I looked. The ships were nothing more than piles of smoldering wood floating on the water. By the shore the four soldiers had surrounded a person…when I looked closer it was Charlemagne! I forced myself up and hesitated a moment to let my spinning head clear, then darted behind a pile of rubble. I worked my way closer to the group until I could hear what they were saying.

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Fausto was holding the Prince of the Icemark in an iron grip as he tried to fight them. Tally knew that he had absolutely no experience whatsoever.

"You're _sure_ this is the Prince of the Icemark? Aren't they supposed to be warriors _OW_!!" The boy had spun around and chomped down hard on Fausto's hand.

"Careful, you might get rabies." Shay joked.

"Fausto, I'm _positive_ this is Prince Charlemagne. I've been listening to the feeds from the bugs all morning-"

"Tallyhasnolife." Sulla coughed. It was a rare moment of humor.

"-_and_ how many kids have limps and wear the Great Ring of State?"

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Crouching behind a wall and the surrounding rubble, I'd heard enough. I couldn't understand a word they said, but I'd caught _Icemark_ and _Charlemagne_ and some other stuff that sounded like names. I was done listening, I had to _act_! Sharley might be the last member of my family alive after the attack and I wasn't about to let him get captured. I could probably distract them long enough for him to get away and hide, and then I could lose the soldiers in the warren of streets.

I hefted a brick from the rubble next to me, and hurled it at the girl soldier, who had her back turned. Faster than I could react the girl (Tally, perhaps?) spun around and broke the brick in two. Sharley twisted free of his captor's grasp and set off at a limping run across the square.

I would have been happy my plan worked, but I had bigger problems. Tally had sprinted across the square toward me and gotten here faster than any normal soldier. There she was, right in front of me! I caught a glimpse of sharp cheekbones and black wolfish eyes. She bared her teeth. They were _pointed_.

That did it. I turned and ran at full speed for an alley. This was _not normal. _

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Tally decided to let her run, at least for a little while. Her display had worked, the Icemark Princess was terrified. As anyone in their right mind should be; Special faces were designed to inspire fear. She was struck by how coordinated the girl was. Not perfect like a Special, but not clumsy and slow like average people. And before she'd seen Tally face-to-face, she'd been so _sure_ too. Like the Smokies. Like David.

She made a few interface gestures with her fingers and an infrared overlay dropped over her vision. She saw the girl's glowing form disappear behind another building and took off in pursuit.

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I heard the footsteps of the soldier behind me as I sprinted from hiding place to hiding place. There was no shaking this girl!

I was getting tired when I came upon a wide avenue with one of the propeller machines parked in the middle. Ducking behind some rubble, I waited holding my breath while Tally walked past. Her movements were fast and jerky, like a bug's. I stood…

…and Tally appeared again. Before she could attack, I grabbed a metal rod from the pile and struck her across the face. She stumbled back slightly dazed and I dove under the machine. Lying in the one place Tally _couldn't _reach me, I caught my breath. The unnatural soldier was walking back to rejoin her companions, and I hoped she'd given up the chase for good.

Peering out from under the belly of the machine, I saw the same group of soldiers joined by some others carrying an unconscious Sharley. _No way…_

They climbed into the machine and the rotor began to spin, kicking up a huge choking cloud of dust. As the machine rose off the ground I grabbed hold of the cargo rack underneath and pulled myself up between several flat, thin craft with rotors at the front and back.

I was going to rescue Sharley and not even Tally was going to stop me.

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Thirrin, Oskan and several others sheltered in the cellar of an Old Haven warehouse. It had been too sudden to mount any real resistance, so the housecarls and leaders of the city were waiting until they could get more organized. A special pattern of knocks announced that the latest scout was returning.

A housecarl guard climbed the steps and let the scout in. Accompanying him were a few townsfolk, Cerdic, and Eodred. Thirrin leapt up and hugged her sons and the scout began to give his report.

"The flying craft are leaving. I don't think the point of this was to occupy Old Haven; they were probably just trying to catch us by surprise and weaken us. **s** far as I know, they haven't taken any prisoners."

"Did you hear anything of Princess Cressida or Prince Charlemagne?" Thirrin asked anxiously.

"No, your majesty."

"They're probably just hiding out somewhere, and as soon as they know the Polypontians are gone they'll come looking for us." Cerdic put in.

"I hope…" Thirrin said softly to herself. If they had been taken she didn't know what she'd do.

"And we found this," The scout said, holding out a small piece of machinery. It looked like a cube with sides about two inches square. One side was of a shiny material, and another looked like a speaker. Thirrin took the cube and held it. The Polypontians wouldn't just leave it lying around for no reason, they must have meant for someone to find it. And that meant nothing good. A tinny crackling noise emanated from the speaker on the cube. Thirrin flung it across the room and it came to rest with the shiny side facing up.

The cube began to glow and a beam of light grew out of the shiny side that formed itself into a three-dimensional projection. Thirrin could only stare as her old enemy materialized in the corner of the room.

"Hello, Lindenshield. Are you wondering what happened to your son?"

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**A/N: **_Reviews are accepted and appreciated. If you were confused, the Icemark is basically the same as canon, but the Empire is way different because of the Uglies Trilogy crossover. If you've read it you know the technology from Uglies is really advanced, so that's how the Polypontians got helicopters, hovercraft, Specials and those little projection cube thingimajiggers. (Which aren't even from Uglies, they are like the voice-cubes from Pendragon:Black Water but they do projections too.) If I ever do a non-crossover Icemark story then the Empire will be a lot more like it is in the books. _

_-Boomerang Fish_


	2. Out of the Frying Pan

**A/N: **Posted at Silver Wind Kitsue's request, Chapter Two!

So, Cressida is off to rescue Sharley and doesn't know that the rest of her family is alive. She's afraid of Specials (are you getting the last line of my summary yet?) but she isn't going to let it stop her. She doesn't know what she's in for… Meanwhile Bellorum is just being…well…himself. Oh, and thank you to whoever reviewed anonymously as I Am Squidious. My first review for this story! And thanks to my beta reader Silver Wind Kitsue, who FINALLY reviewed! Some of you might be saying "what's with the title?", I made it to correspond with Chapter Three's title. I also changed the story's title, cause I thought the old one was a little, I dunno, _blah_.

**Disclaimer: **Cry of the Icemark, Blade of Fire, and everything else related to the Icemark Chronicles are copyright to Stuart Hill and The Chicken House. Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras and everything else related to the Uglies Trilogy is copyright to Scott Westerfeld and Simon Pulse. But I own this story!

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**Chapter Two - Out of the Frying Pan**

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_Never, ever stow away on one of these flying machines again_, I thought.

I'd wedged myself in between two of the thin craft and was going over what I was going to do next. Getting off was obviously my first priority. Preferably at the same place Sharley did, so I wouldn't have to go looking for him. That would be bad. I didn't know anything about the Empire and for obvious reasons did not want to stay there longer than I absolutely had to. I had no money, I couldn't speak Polypontian and I didn't want to meet up with Tally or anyone like her, and it would be hard to blend in. I had to find some other clothes if I would be there for any time span longer that a day or two.

A problem with stowing away in a cargo rack, though, is that cargo racks have to be unloaded at some point. And I definitely didn't want to be there when they did. So I had to find some way to get off when Sharley did and before they checked the rack. I decided the best idea would be to wait until the machine was close enough to the ground so I could land safely, then jump off into a tree or body of water. If there was one. Or I could wait till nightfall, if they hadn't unloaded by then. There were too many ifs! My entire plan depended on getting lucky.

I settled into a more comfortable position between the thin craft to wait out the flight. It was cold at such high altitudes and windy too. My armor, for all its usefulness in battle, was doing nothing to keep me warm. The metal was freezing through the simple tunic and pants I wore underneath.

I glanced down and was struck by intense vertigo. Everything looked tiny, like I could reach out and pick it up. The patchwork of fields, towns and forest spun beneath me. I decided to look at the machine's boring metal underbelly instead.

At that moment the machine banked and turned. I was thrown against one of the boards and barely held back a scream. The land spun dizzyingly and I noticed we were now traveling across the Dancing Maidens, the mountains that formed the Icemark's southern border. Here it was still winter and the air temperature dropped even more. I shivered, dressed for the early spring in Old Haven, and sneezed. I hoped I wasn't catching a cold from this wind. That would make things difficult.

Maybe an hour passed and I felt like a little iceberg. I _had_ to find some different clothes when I was in the Empire. The land the helicopter was flying over had changed from mountains to plains dotted with small towns. We were passing over a long stretch of empty plains when I noticed we seemed to be nearing our destination.

It looked like a town at first, but then I noticed that it was surrounded by barbed wire fences and armed sentries. There was also a huge parade ground and near the edge there were long strips of pavement. Not really _town_ material. The craft seemed to be heading toward those.

My stomach dropped. As we got closer I could see the pavement strips were part of a whole other complex. There were huge, long buildings with rounded tops, and in the center of the entire place was a high tower with windows wrapping around the top of it and several antennas on the roof. The buildings weren't what were scary, though. There were rows and rows of the black hovercraft, helicopters like the one I was riding on, and other craft that looked like giant kites. There were also huge ships, the size of normal Navy craft, but instead of sails they had huge balloon-like canopies filled with something that lifted them off the ground. They were all still at the moment, sort of like seagoing ships at anchor. If a few of the smaller craft could destroy Old Haven, imagine what the flying ships could do! I hoped if my mother and father were still alive, they could persuade the Vampires and Snowy Owls to honor the treaty. They wouldn't have much effect on the metal machines, but I bet it would be relatively simple for them to take out the ships.

The machine suddenly dipped forward. The small craft to either side of me didn't move for some reason, but I did and I was going to fall off if I didn't do anything. I grabbed the boards to either side of me and held on tight as the helicopter angled towards the landing pad. After what seemed like an eternity, to me at least, the machine leveled out and began to sink down onto the pavement. I relaxed my grip on the boards and sneezed again, thankful the sound was swallowed up by the sound of the rotors. The craft settled on the ground and the rotors stopped spinning. I lay perfectly still, but prepared to fight.

A group of people were approaching the helicopter from across the landing pad. All I could see of them were their boots. I heard the door of the machine slide open and the thud as it stopped against the side of the helicopter. Someone, (I didn't know who, because again all I could see were boots) stepped out and after a few seconds they began to talk in Polypontian. Again, I could catch _Icemark_ and other stuff that might have been names, Sharley's and, this was a surprise, mine.

More people stepped out of the machine. No Sharley. Not even any _sign_ of Sharley. Had they killed him during the flight? But then, what was the point of capturing him in the first place? I really, really hoped they wouldn't check underneath the helicopter before I could find somewhere else to hide. I also really, really hoped that I hadn't caught a cold, because my nose was feeling really stuffed up and I felt another sneeze coming on. This time, the rotors wouldn't be able to hide the sound.

I felt a tickle in my nose and tried to hold it in, or at least time it so someone would be talking really loudly at the time I sneezed. Why weren't these people going somewhere _else_ to talk, it's not like there were any shortage of places. I tried to muffle it with my arm…

_Achoo!_ Someone heard and spun around (see, I told you I was watching their boots) but before they could surround the machine I was out from under the cargo rack and racing across the field. I didn't know where I was headed, the general direction being away from the (very angry) soldiers by the parked craft. I heard shouts behind me and then a small explosion sent bits of pavement spraying around my ankles. More gunshots sounded and I dove forward, rolling behind the corner of one of the hangars. Just as I got behind the corner, a bullet glanced off my shoulder. I wasn't harmed though, thanks to my armor. I heard the footsteps of people chasing me and took off for the fence. Okay, this was the second time I'd been running for my life in less than a day…new record! Somehow, I didn't feel like celebrating.

I was almost at the fence when I realized it looked too easy. Just climb over it and you were out. So there was razor wire on the top; wearing full armor like I was, I didn't think that would be a problem. This close I could detect a faint buzzing, like the way the air feels just before a lightning storm. Something told me climbing over that fence was not a good idea.

And my pursuers were catching up.

I turned at the last minute and ran along the fence, to where, I didn't know. It seemed like too much to hope for that there'd be a gaping hole. I decided the best idea would be to lose them in the complex of buildings. _Which they probably know like the backs of their hands_, the pessimist in me thought. I turned again and ran towards an area full of white tanks. The soldiers chasing me ceased fire as I dove beneath one. Peering out from beneath, I could see them coming across the pavement, but for some reason they weren't shooting even though I was a sitting duck. I'd caught my breath, and now I rolled out from under the tank and ran, keeping my head low. When I got away from the tanks and no shots were fired, I began to think that maybe I _had_ lost them.

By this time I was near another of the hangars. I looked back over my shoulder at my pursuers and saw they had spread out. I was dismayed to see two people in gray uniforms with them. People like Tally. I sprinted around the side of the hangar just as one of the soldiers noticed, and they all ran towards me. Scanning up and down the sides of the building I saw a plain door leading inside. Just as the soldiers rounded the corner, I slipped through and shut it quietly. None followed.

I turned slowly, more than half expecting to see another group of soldiers with their weapons pointed at me. There were none. The hangar was empty and silent. I got quickly away from the door and hid behind a small vehicle parked near the wall.

The room I found myself in was enormous, with a high curved ceiling. There were windows up where wall met roof, several more of the small vehicles, and what looked like a very complex pumping device connected to a series of hoses, which were connected to one of the huge sky-ship canopies. The canopy wasn't yet inflated but it was connected to the ship and held up by a grid of steel rods. The rods didn't seem to have anything holding them up, they were just floating there. The ship itself was docked in a metal bay that kept its hull off the ground and had several walkways alongside the hull, presumably for making repairs. A sloped track led outside. There were wheels to help the huge ship along, and I guessed these vehicles were supposed to pull or push it. There were a few other doors leading to small storage rooms and other parked machinery that I supposed helped service the sky-ship in some way. The hangar had only two entrances that I could see; the door I'd entered through and a huge metal door that took up the entire front wall and was currently closed.

I figured this was as good a place as any to rest and think of what I'd do next. I had to find some way to get out of here. It was going to be tricky; the soldiers probably had the hangar surrounded by now. What was I supposed to do, hijack the sky-ship?

Having rested sufficiently, I got up and walked over to the huge pumping device. The control panel was a bunch of touchscreens and dials that I guessed controlled the flow of whatever was pumped through. There was one large switch to turn the flow on and off, currently that was in the off position. There was also a whole other control panel that I guessed was for the other machinery in the hangar. I knew from this moment on that rescuing Sharley wasn't going to be simple. I couldn't accomplish it by just brute force. I had to be smart, and use the enemy's own weapons against him. Hmm…

This thought drew my gaze back to the pumping device. Those heavy hoses…what if they were detached from the canopy and someone turned the pump on? Would the force of whatever came out of the hose be enough to blow a person backwards? A vehicle, even? The only problem would be detaching the hoses, seeing as they were up near the ceiling. Climbing up there would be too much trouble for something I wasn't even sure was going to work. It had been a good idea, while it lasted.

I went to examine the vehicles next. All the ones that I looked inside and tested seemed like they needed some sort of key or password to start. And I didn't have much time until they got that door open. Maybe none of these worked. I checked the last vehicle, and maybe it was just dumb luck but this one actually moved forward when I pressed the pedal. But maybe I didn't even need to think about the vehicles or the pumping device. Maybe they _hadn't_ surrounded the hangar and I could just leave through the door I entered through. I crossed the room and opened it a crack to see whether anyone was out there.

They were. Thankfully, they were just normal soldiers, and not the ones in gray. They were also a little slow to react, so by the time they'd started towards me I'd slammed the door and was holding it shut while I looked for something to keep it closed. There was a coil of steel cable nearby and it looked heavy, but the door opened outwards so it would be of no use. I was just going to fight my way out of the compound, then.

When the soldiers on the other side pulled at the door again, I pushed it outwards and was satisfied to hear a _thud_ as the door hit one of the soldiers. The other one came around the side, but I was ready for him. Before he had a chance to shoot I knocked the gun out of his hand and punched him in the stomach. When he was doubled over I grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back and up. There was a _pop_ as his shoulder dislocated. More soldiers were coming around the front of the hangar. I didn't have the element of surprise like before and I couldn't take on a whole group of them at the same time without a weapon.

I ducked back inside and ran to the one vehicle that worked. Really, this whole thing was getting kind of old. Didn't they have anything _better _to do? Like, jump off cliffs or something?

I noticed a button near the hangar's front door that I hoped opened it, or started some defense system or something that'd help. I ran as fast as I could over to it and pressed down just as the first of the soldiers entered the hangar through the side door. And wasn't it typical, it didn't work. The entire day seemed cursed. The soldiers now in the hangar began shooting and I ducked behind some metal barrels. I heard clangs as the bullets struck the barrels. I hoped that door would open…

Taking a chance, I slammed down the button again. Nothing, and again I had to duck for cover. _Sharley had better_ really_ be in danger_; I thought and then felt guilty for thinking that about my own little brother. I had to get out of this hangar. I waited a few seconds and then tried the door button a third time and ducked behind the barrels again. I heard footsteps coming towards me across the concrete floor and prayed the door would open. But I couldn't rely on that.

As the first soldier came around the barrels, I pulled him to the ground, wrestled the weapon from his hands and knocked him unconscious. It took me a few seconds to figure out how to hold it and more to actually use it, don't think it came naturally. And by the time I _could_ shoot it, I was basically using it as a club anyway. The first shot was a complete accident, and I was lucky I didn't have the weapon pointed toward _me_ at the time. There was a huge blast of noise, one of the soldiers made a strangled noise and fell, and the recoil slammed me against the hangar wall. I shook my head and, using the gun as a club again, knocked one of the soldiers aside and sprinted for one of the little vehicles. I dove inside and slammed the door shut just as bullets hit the outside.

During the fight, I hadn't noticed that the door had begun to slowly open. Guess the third time's the charm. More soldiers were surrounding the vehicle while one attended to the guy I'd shot. I took a quick look at the controls for the vehicle and pressed one of the foot pedals. Nothing. I tried the other one and the vehicle lurched forward. There was a wheel in the center that I spun all the way around and the vehicle spun as well. The soldiers, who'd seemed so confident, were leaping out of the way of the speeding vehicle. I tried to steer towards the door, which was open enough to get out, and ended up swerving wildly from right to left across the concrete. A line of more soldiers was outside the entrance with their weapons leveled. Bullets slammed into the windshield, cracking it, and the soldiers directly in front of me dove aside, but one guy managed to jump on top of the vehicle. I swerved again and he flew off, and then pressed down on the foot pedal making the machine speed up. This was turning into a real crash course in driving.

Ha. Check that out. Pun of the century.

I steered across the airfield towards the gate I could see in the distance. Apparently, all the soldiers, or most of them, had surrounded the hangar and none were at the gate, except for a couple of guards. And they couldn't exactly stop a speeding…whatever this thing was called. I crashed right through the gates, sending them flying off their hinges and skidding along the road, and hurtled on away from the army base.

And into the Empire.

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"That wasn't clever, Octavius."

"_I_ thought it was. Starting that truck remotely? Didn't think it could be done..."

"That's not what I meant, and you know that!" Sulla said indignantly, "Now she's in the Empire and on her way to rescue that crippled brother of hers…do you know how much you've messed things up?"

"There are defenses around Special Circumstances, aren't there? And in that sort of armor she'll stick out like a sore thumb. You shouldn't have any problems finding her."

"What do you mean _me? You're_ helping, since it's your entire fault anyway."

"You know, if she makes it to Romula she'll be a perfect candidate for Special Circumstances." Octavius said, completely changing the subject.

"What?"

"Think about it. Agent Youngblood used to be a Smokey and now she's one of our best. Besides, the Doctor has been looking for someone to test this new operation on."

"You have a point there." Octavius nodded and gave his brother an "all-my-ideas-are-good-ones" smirk. Sulla read the look and snapped, "Funny, I thought letting the Crown Princess escape was a really _bad_ idea."

"What, if she goes back to the Icemark who cares, and if she tries to find her brother she'll get caught trying to sneak into Circumstances. And I only helped with that truck, she figured the rest out herself."

"You owe me so much for not telling Father right away."

"I know."

"Come on, _you_ have a job to do." Sulla grabbed his brother by the wrist and half-dragged him out of the office.

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A/N**: If I get reviews, I'll continue. Actually, I might continue _without_ reviews 'cause I just like writing. I'm trying to do more character development with Bellorum's sons since we didn't get much at all in Blade of Fire and that kind of disappointed me. 

I'd really like some feedback on how I write action-y scenes, though, since the one in this chapter was one of the first ones I did. Thanks.


	3. Into the Fire

**A/N: **I'M NOT DEAD! It just took me an abnormally long time to update! And the title of the third book is released, which just made me INSPIRED! IT'S GOING TO BE CALLED THE LAST BATTLE OF THE ICEMARK! WOOHOO! –spazzes-

Okay, I'm back. I started hating this story for a while, then forgot about it, then I was just lazy, then I was ridiculously stressed (Silver Wind Neko, you know what I'm talking about). And chapters are going to be shorter from now on, one because they'd be more like the chapters in the Uglies books and two because I can get them posted faster. So here we go, the chapter that took over three months to write (smacks self on head). And thanks so much to chop4tess for the constructive criticism, I'll keep that in mind for other actiony scenes.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, except for the plot. It all belongs to Stuart and Scott. Hey wow, that rhymes! Hey, that's really creepy…that rhymes…

**Chapter Three – Into the Fire **

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I had left the truck on the side of the road a few miles back when it ran out of fuel. Now that I thought about it, it was probably for the best. I mean, picture this. A little skyport vehicle hurtling down a busy highway and probably drawing army people to it like moths to light.

I don't think so.

But on the other hand, it was good to not have to walk. And roads always _led_ to someplace, unlike forests, where you could just go around in circles. Why don't they ever build army bases in densely populated areas? I mean, is it that hard?

When I figured I was far enough away from the road and where I'd left the truck, I sat down and wondered what I was going to do next. When I jumped on that machine at Old Haven, I was acting on impulse; I didn't take the time to think out what I would do when the machine got to its destination. Now, instead of saving Sharley, I was alone in the Empire with no money, no way to get anywhere except my feet, one set of clothes (_Icemark_ clothes. Which I had to get rid of as soon as possible if I wanted to go into any towns.), and the entire army chasing me, plus (I guessed) local police forces and normal people too. Bonus, it was still _winter_.

I couldn't go back to the airfield and hitch a ride on another flying machine even if I'd wanted to, which left two choices. I could find some other way to wherever Sharley was, or I could go back to the Icemark. Sharley might be the only family I had left, I had to _try_. But if I tried, I might just end up getting myself captured and that wouldn't help anyone. If my family was dead, I had to return to the Icemark and lead the army. I couldn't put the entire country in even more danger just to rescue one person, even if that one person was my brother. As much as I hated the idea, I was duty-bound to return to the Icemark and defend it. But I couldn't leave Sharley! If I had a chance to save him I had to take it, however small. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't. But would I be able to live with myself if I rescued Sharley, but sacrificed the Icemark?

I curled up against a tree and tried to go to sleep. It wasn't easy. It was freezing cold out and I was still in my armor. I had to find shelter somewhere soon, and a decent coat. And some food, too. I'd eat a squirrel if it happened to come close right now. I shut my eyes and tried to pretend I was in bed in the Citadel, but it didn't work. As soon as I opened my eyes, I knew I was back in a frozen, seriously creepy forest in the Empire. My thoughts kept looping back to Old Haven. Had the rest of my family been taken captive? What about Maggiore? What about the normal citizens who were just standing in the square?

Eventually, I managed to get to sleep, curled into a fetal position and half dug-in to a snowdrift. I was in the middle of a dream about last Yule (only somehow, _sheep_ and a flock of _flying pigs_ had burst in during the celebrations, and it took place in an ice cave) when a beam of light scythed down through the bare branches. I snapped awake and rolled out of its light, but it followed, illuminating large patches of the ground as it searched. The branches waved wildly as the flying machine's propeller beat at the air. The dark shape overhead turned, following me as I ran from the searchlight beam. I looked up and it seemed to be gaining. Suddenly it turned and flew off in an entirely different direction. I sighed in relief. It hadn't seen me, it had just been patrolling. Probably looking for me, but-

The ground dropped out from under me and I skidded down a slope covered in dead leaves and snow. A thin fallen branch snapped underneath me and I fell on a pebbly riverbank. For a few seconds I just sat there, slightly dazed, and then looked around. I was at the bottom of a ravine, and a small brook was winding its way through beneath a thin coating of ice. Snow was heaped near the banks of the ravine. The bank had obviously crumbled under my weight when I wasn't paying attention and now I was down here. I got up and walked downstream until I saw a place where the bank had been eroded away by spring meltwater. A tree stood at the top of the bank and its roots hung down, sheltering a tiny cave. I got down on my hands and knees and looked in to see how deep it went. Only a few feet, and the roof wasn't very high. But it was sheltered from snow and wind, at least. It was still way cold, though. I sneezed again, and really hoped I wasn't sick. Being sick would make rescuing Sharley really hard.

Crawling inside, I took off most of my armor so I could sleep, then curled up and shut my eyes.

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When I woke up, I felt awful. My fingers and toes ached with cold, I was sore from my fall, and I felt like my teeth had grown fur overnight. I sniffed. Oh, and my nose was stuffed up. If you can think of a more fun situation, don't hesitate to let me know.

It took me a few moments to register what had happened yesterday. It was amazing how so much could change in just twenty four hours. The attack, Sharley's capture, the unnatural soldiers, stowing away on the flying machine, the airfield…it was almost too much. And now that I actually had time to think about it, I was probably going to have a nervous breakdown.

But I couldn't afford nervous breakdowns. Or any more delays, of any kind. I had to either get back to the Icemark and prepare to fight, or rescue Sharley. And whichever I chose, I had to do it fast. A full-scale invasion would surely follow the attack on Old Haven, and who knew what could have happened to Sharley in the day since he'd been kidnapped?

I sat up and crawled out of cave and over to the stream. I took one of my mail gloves and used it to punch a small hole in the ice. The water was frigid and I woke up in a second. It was far too cold to splash water on my face or do anything but brush my teeth and drink, so I did that and then sat back to wonder about what I was going to do next. Every option stank.

I could return to the Icemark. I needed to see if the rest of my family had survived, and if they had not, I was the Queen and needed to lead the people. I couldn't go risking my life like this when the entire Icemark needed me. But my little brother needed me. Sharley's weak leg made it almost impossible for him to defend himself, and Eodred, Cerdic and I had always jumped in to protect him when he got in fights with other palace children, and I had to protect him now. I couldn't just sit here and do nothing. But what should I do? This was a lose-lose situation. I hated how I'd feel guilty whatever I did.

Whatever I decided to do, I probably couldn't stay here for long. If the army was still searching these woods, they would find me easily enough. _Especially since I left my armor sitting out_. Anyone looking down from the bank of the ravine would see the armor, even if they hadn't seen me. And they'd probably be back with reinforcements… I picked up the most essential pieces of my armor to put them on, turned, and froze.

There was another person in the ravine.

_Who were they? Where did they come from? How long were they standing there? Were they armed? Could I fight them off? _

It was unlikely that they were a homeless guy or a hiker or a camper. Or a civilian at all – who would be out in the forest in the winter when it was this cold? And they were wearing armor…or at least, I thought it was armor. It was the weakest-looking armor I'd ever seen, all cloth with a hood and mask that concealed the person's face. And the cloth itself seemed to be made up of thousands of tiny colored scales in a pattern that matched the woods around me. So that's why I hadn't seen them until now; they blended in perfectly with the forest. As I watched, the scales all seemed to ripple at the same time and turn black, and I realized that the suit wasn't armor; it was some kind of camouflage. Which just screamed _army_.

Time to go.

I heard the person in the camouflage say something very softly, and then they stepped towards me. I vaguely saw the person remove the hood, but I really didn't care what they looked like. I ran toward a bend in the ravine – hopefully the banks were less steep farther down and I could climb out. I had time to think about how much I'd been running away lately and mentally smacked myself. I was a princess of the House of Lindenshield, and here I was fleeing like a coward.

When I rounded the bend in the ravine, I saw another person in the same kind of camouflage suit step towards me. I didn't think to see if it was wise, I just acted. I feinted a kick to the person's stomach, but at the last moment punched them in the face. Or where the face should be, under the suit. As it happened, it wasn't wise, because the person happened to be one of the frighteningly fast soldiers, and they caught my wrist and flipped me. I landed on the ground winded, but recovered quickly and got up. Spying a fallen tree lying halfway in the ravine, I jumped for it and scrambled up the trunk. The two people followed me, one leaping up the bank with ease, the other one running up the trunk (good, they were normal).

More people were appearing every second and I heard the roar of machine engines in the distance. I looked ahead, trying to see where the trees thinned out. If there was a field, I could run faster without worrying about hitting a tree. 

Okay, run faster? I could fight these guys. Because _no way_ was I running away any more. 

I ducked behind a tree and continued in a completely different direction – the way I'd been taught to escape a wild animal, since pursuers could only run fast in a straight line. At least I hoped it would work for human pursuers too. It better. 

I saw the trees thin out far ahead of me – _yes! _Now I could fight, now I wouldn't have to run any more and they could know exactly who they're messing with. 

Or not. 

Because as it happened, the trees didn't thin out and become a meadow. They thinned out and became a sheer drop _into a pond._ Of course, my luck being so amazing, I didn't see it until I ran straight off. I hung suspended in the air for a moment, long enough to say a few curses in my head, and dropped straight down onto the ice – and through it, to the freezing pond.

_Oh Goddess –_ I couldn't swim. Not well. And I'd heard that even an expert swimmer drowns in freezing water. Their muscles stop or something. I was far from expert and this water was way below freezing. But the drop might have helped, too. I heard voices above me on top of the embankment at about the same time I felt myself floating to the surface. Not one to pass up an opportunity to escape from gun-toting psychos, I swam clumsily to a place I thought was beneath the ice and stayed there, treading water and holding my breath until I heard the people on top of the embankment leave. Probably to find a way down so they could continue chasing me, so I didn't have much time. 

I dragged my hand along the ice until I felt the hole I'd fallen through, already freezing up. I freaked about then, thinking I'd be trapped under the ice and I was going to drown. Really needing to breathe didn't help either. I thrust my head up through the thin crust of ice and took a huge gulp of cold air – I never in my life thought breathing would be that great. Gripping the edges of the ice hole, I tried to pull myself up, only to have the ice crumble under my weight. This was going to be a lot harder than I expected. 

Trying again, I flopped up onto the ice the way I'd seen seals flop onto rocks back home. It crumbled a little and I scrambled onto the solid ice as fast as I could and rolled away from the hole. Safe for the moment, and on land, I lifted my head to look around. As a matter of fact, there was a field, and a house too. Which may or may not be a good thing, depending on whether it was inhabited. Satisfied I knew my surroundings, I lay there on the ice to catch my breath, with my weight spread out like I'd been taught. However, I couldn't catch my breath for long. These woods were swarming with Imperial soldiers and I was sitting here out in the open. 

I made my way to solid ground, sliding on my stomach so that I wouldn't fall through the ice again. When I felt dirt under me, I stood up, wanting to look around but found myself sitting on the snow again, feeling lightheaded. Not good. I also knew I had to find dry clothes as soon as possible or I would freeze to death. Also not good.I stood, slower this time, and began to walk across the field toward the road. I didn't get five steps before I stopped. 

Standing there watching me was a little girl. I didn't know how long she'd been there, but I could bet she would call her parents, who might call the police, and then I would be in trouble. I couldn't fight off soldiers half-frozen like this. The little girl tilted her head to one side, probably wonder why a stranger had just climbed out of her pond. Then she turned toward the house and started to run, calling for her parents. I had to go, now. 

I turned toward the woods, but couldn't get very far. My muscles were stiffening from the cold and I was feeling very weak. This was what the housecarls had warned me about. If I stayed out in the cold, I could pass out and possibly die. That was the kind of snap decision I had to make when the girl reappeared, her mother walking with her. 

They caught up to me before I could make it to the woods, which was _pathetic_ beyond belief, seeing as they were walking. I was worse off than I thought. Maybe I did need help. And as long as I didn't let these people know I wasn't from the Empire, I should be fine. And if I needed to, I knew I could overpower them. 

The woman said something to me, sounding concerned, then wrapped her coat around me and led me towards a vehicle that was parked nearby the house. To my amazement, the vehicle hovered at least a foot off the ground, but that was probably just a hallucination. Oh, wonderful, I was seeing things. Wait, the vehicle - that was not what I expected. The woman felt me tense and dig my heels into the snow, and said something that I couldn't understand, but sounded soothing. I wasn't going to calm down, though. 

Well, maybe this _was_ for the best. I mean, if I went back into the woods I would probably die of hypothermia, or get shot. If I got into the vehicle I could figure out what I was going to do, get warm, and possibly get food and dry clothes. And I'd be away from the woods - those soldiers would be back any minute. Suddenly, I couldn't wait to get to wherever the woman was taking me. Well, if I squashed all the fears I had about getting into the vehicle with this lady, and the fears I had about this whole thing in general. 

I sat down in the back seat, and the woman closed the door. The vehicle seemed to rise off the ground when the woman and the little girl got in, and then it turned and floated - _floated_, since when do vehicles float - over to the road. At that moment, I looked out the window and saw figures coming out of the woods. I'd gotten into the car not a second too late. The person who seemed to be the leader took one look at the footprints and thevehicle and began to cross the field - too late. We were already in the air - _in the air, _I really was sick. 

So long, suckers.

I relaxed into the seat. _I'm coming to find you, Sharley_.

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A/N: Forgive the errors in this chapter - if there were any. I wrote it completely on Document Manager. I'm so happy this chapter is no longer festering on my computer and it's finally up. 

Reviews are nice.


	4. Pretty Faces

**A/N:** Sorry for not updating for a few weeks! I was attacked by the finals monster… I hate finals. Anyways, Human Weapon is now up on the Icemark fansite. Check out the fanfiction archive there, it's huuuuge! Off we go!

Also, forgive any mistakes during the hospital part. I don't know how they treat hypothermia/near hypothermia besides giving the person warmth (or if there is any treatment). Bear with me.

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Chapter 4 - Pretty Faces

I didn't know how long I rode in the vehicle, because the next thing I knew we were descending and settling onto the ground. I must have nodded off or something. _It was just so warm... _I kind of regretted not staying awake for the flight. Or the illusion of flight - yes, the Empire had more technology than the Icemark, but I doubted even they could make a vehicle float without propellers.

Outside the vehicle, it was snowing again. We were in front of a huge, blocky building with lights on in all the windows. Not many people were entering or leaving, but it looked busy inside. The woman helped me out of the vehicle and through the door of the building. I was expecting to feel better after sleeping and the warmth of the vehicle, but I was still so tired. Not to mention embarrassed - I was as floppy as a rag doll and could barely concentrate on anything, and depending on a Polypontian woman I didn't know at all for help.

When we entered the building, I was instantly on alert. Or as on alert as one could be, in my condition. I guessed this place was a hospital - it smelled slightly of antiseptic and there were two people sitting in chairs in what I guessed was the waiting room. No soldiers in sight. I relaxed slightly. However, the only exit I could see was the door, and it could be blocked easily enough. I figured I could always climb out a window if I needed to. I hoped I didn't need to; I didn't know how much longer I could go on only a few hours' sleep. I was practically sleeping on my feet now.

The woman spoke to someone behind a desk. I wished I could understand them, but I never really paid any attention when Maggiore tried to teach us languages. Sharley was the only one who could really understand other languages at all, having learned while Cerdic, Eodred and I trained in the lists. I could vaguely tell what was going on – there were some questions, mainly coming from the guy behind the desk, and the woman was answering. I leaned against the desk and looked around the waiting room again. No one. Safe.

I figured an agreement had been reached, because the woman and the receptionist (or whoever) stopped talking and a nurse came up to us. She said something to me and motioned toward a set of doors leading farther into the hospital. I nodded and followed her. I can get through this without talking. But I wanted to thank the woman for helping me, and I wanted to understand what on earth everyone was saying. For all I knew, they could be calling the Army.

The nurse led me down a hall, into a tiny room that rose (freaky), and into a smallish hospital room. I lay down on the bed while she took something out of a drawer. I was feeling more alert now, thanks to the warmth, and began to wonder how I could get out of here. But for the moment, the hospital seemed safe enough. The army couldn't find me here immediately (I hoped) and I could plan out my next move. And maybe get something to eat; I was starving.

Well, the hospital seemed safe until the nurse got a huge needle and made to stick it in my arm.

"Whaa! No!" I yelled, smacking the needle out of her hand. The nurse looked shocked. She recovered quickly and said something in a soothing voice, getting another needle from the drawer. "No, I really don't need that." I said, covering my arm, "Really." She looked very confused, which was when I realized that I had been speaking in the language of the Icemark the whole time. I tried to figure out how to say "no" in Polypontian but couldn't.

Meanwhile, the nurse was busy preparing the needle, and before I could smack it out of her hand she'd stuck it in my finger, drawing a tiny amount of blood. I jumped away and she pulled the needle out, put it in a small container and left the room. All this trying to avoid the needle had left me feeling lightheaded, so I just flopped on the bed again and enjoyed the warmth of the hospital.

Realizing I should probably use this time productively, I tried to think back to any time when I might possibly have learned some Polypontian. I remembered one time, many years ago, when Sharley had come to me all excited to tell me about the new things he'd learned in his lessons. This was before he became ashamed of his crippled leg and not being able to fight, and he was so proud of what he knew. I decided to humor him and had let him teach me a few easy phrases in Polypontian. I remembered Sharley laughing at my accent, and then trying to correct it. I had joked that he was turning into a miniature Maggiore Totus.

Poor Sharley. Where was he now? Was he even still alive? I had to get out of this hospital and back to rescuing him as soon as possible.

I managed to remember how to say yes and no, hello, goodbye, thank you and how to ask for directions. Asking for directions would certainly come in handy, but the rest I wasn't so sure about. I wasn't exactly concerned with being polite.

I heard the door opening and tensed, ready to fight, but it was only the nurse. This time she didn't have any needles – what a relief – and was carrying a tray of food. She set it down on my lap and left the room in a bit of a hurry. Yeah, she probably thought I was a mental case now because of my reaction to the needle.

I looked at the food. My paranoid half said to throw it out, it was probably poisoned, and my stupid, hungry half said to eat it as fast as possible. My stupid half won out and I virtually inhaled the food, not even stopping to see what it was. Since I wasn't immediately keeling over dead, I decided it was safe.

I put the tray one the floor and lay back, trying to get some sleep. I didn't know when I was going to be able to sleep again. I assumed that, considering how tense I was, it would take hours for me to nod off, but it didn't. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

--

The next thing I knew, it was dark in the room and I could see stars in the sky outside. I sat bolt upright. Had I slept for that long?

I wasn't feeling lightheaded or weak anymore, which was good, but I was hungry again, which was bad. Before I opened the door, I listened for anyone in the hallway. No one. Now I was going to leave this hospital and find Sharley. I'd already been delayed for long enough.

But just walking out would be too easy, right?

I shoved my pillow underneath my blanket and tiptoed out into the hallway. I remembered the moving room and could see the door to it, but I didn't know how to make it work. Luckily there was a set of stairs near it. I took those. I was higher up in the hospital than I realized, and as I went downstairs I passed floors that looked like just more hospital rooms and some that looked like they were operating rooms. I saw a group of orderlies wheeling a person on a gurney into one of the operating rooms, only – hello – the gurney was floating. Weird, weird, weird.

I was about ready to explode. This was too easy. I mean, I was just walking out of the hospital and no one was trying to stop me. I was just waiting for someone to burst through the doors and tackle me. Of course, I knew I could take a bunch of doctors, but still. Nerve-wracking.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, there were two doors, one leading outside and one leading into the lobby. The one leading into the lobby had a window in it, so I had to cross quickly before I could be seen by anyone. I am so paranoid.

Before I left the hospital, I peered through the window into the waiting room to see if anyone had followed me and noticed something I hadn't noticed before. Everyone, from the doctors to the people sitting around and waiting, was incredibly pretty. There was one normal-looking person who looked around sixteen, but she stuck out like a sore thumb. Usually I didn't care about what people looked like, so this was weird. And I was unconsciously doing it. I was staring at the people's faces so much; I almost didn't notice the two men talking to the receptionist.

They weren't in uniform and they didn't carry weapons, but I just knew that they were working for the army. Yeah, not fun. I turned to leave as fast as I could, but not before I caught a glimpse of one of the men in profile. I didn't know what I was expecting, maybe a monster, but certainly not someone pretty. It was almost like hypnotism. I stopped still. Really, what was I thinking? They couldn't mean any harm, I could trust them…

Then I remembered Sharley and the effect of the face shattered. Really, what was I thinking? They had kidnapped my brother, they wanted to destroy my country and they were trying to capture me. I was out of there faster than you could say gone, but not before I thought to steal a coat from a rack by the door. Sorry, whoever owned it, but I would freeze without it and I couldn't rescue Sharley as an icicle.

I knew they'd seen me and that they'd follow, but they didn't know what I was going to do. But I had a head start and intended to use it. I didn't know exactly where I was running to, but I saw lights and tall buildings and figured that meant lots of people. And lots of people meant I could get lost easily.

I looked behind me and saw another hovering vehicle taking off from the hospital parking lot. Not happy. I ducked into the first building I saw.

Inside the building a voice was talking over a loudspeaker. People were boarding a long vehicle that looked like it was floating about a foot above the track. There were screens set up showing what I guessed were arrivals and departures. Departures…I grinned. I couldn't believe how lucky I was. It didn't matter if the two men had seen me enter this building, by the time they got here I intended to be long gone.

I boarded the long vehicle, trying to look like I knew what I was doing and that I belonged here. I glimpsed the faces of a couple of other passengers, and they were just as beautiful as the people in the hospital waiting room. The little boy walking with them, though, was normal.

Why were only the older people pretty? Shouldn't you be born with it? This was so strange. And the effect of the faces was just plain creepy. The sooner I had rescued Sharley and returned to the Icemark, the better.

The vehicle started to move, traveling south. Not even those scary, hypnotic faces could stop me now. And I was getting rather good at the whole "blending in and knowing what to do even when you can't understand a word" thing, if I do say so myself. Really, I should be a spy. Well, probably not.

I curled up on the seat and pulled the stolen jacket over me. I didn't know when I was going to get the chance to relax again, and I should probably take the time to think through what I was going to do when I reached Romula. But that could wait. I had a couple of hours of traveling left, and for now I was content to just relax and watch the landscape go by outside the window.

It was hard to believe. I was really on my way now.

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**A/N: **Not that much action, just setting up for Chapters 5 and 6. But still, I'm happy it's up. The plot picks up a lot more in the next two chapters.

Reviews are nice.


	5. The Observer Effect

**A/N: **Now it picks up. I'm so excited!

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**Chapter Five – The Observer Effect**

Two people sat in the room under Town Hall. A bank of screens on the wall showed security feeds from every camera in the city, and a database held all the past feeds for city officials to access whenever they wanted. The largest screen showed a still photo of a young woman boarding a mag-lev train.

"Which track is that?" Octavius asked.

"Six" his brother replied and glared at him, still angry that they had to be there _at all_.

"Agh! When are you ever going to let this go?"

"How about never?"

"Okay, fine. I admit I messed up, I was wrong, I repent for my sins, now _will you please help even the tiniest bit_?"

"The train you're looking for arrives at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon at Romula Station, happy?"

"Thank you." Octavius leaned back in his chair and twitched his fingers to check his pings. At least fifteen shuffled to the top of the list marked with a red flag for priority. _Errgh...not reading those now._ He could predict the subject matter anyway. His father must have found out about the events at the airfield, and the pings were probably run-of-the-mill "You are incompetent, you can't handle even the simplest assignments, you are a failure" that Octavius really did not want to have to read through. _I'll show him. _

"Sulla!"

"Oh, what now?"

"Can you call a hovercar? Or get us seats on a suborbital, or something?"

"Why?"

"Because we're going to Romula," Octavius answered, "And we're meeting her at the station."

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I sat back in my seat as the mag-lev train (I had figured out what it was actually called) pulled into Romula, confident that I had lost my pursuers for the moment. Getting on the train had been a great idea - not only had I reached my destination faster, I hadn't had to walk in the cold and I'd gotten a free meal. I was feeling pretty smart.

And rested. Don't forget rested.

During the journey I'd had time to think about what exactly I was going to do once I reached the city. Probably stake out the army headquarters until I found a way to sneak in (disguise myself as a janitor? Whatever.). More likely I would just have to sneak in without a disguise and hope no one sees me. Then get out of the city on a train as well? Or steal a hovercar? Or, most likely, just walk.

The train coasted to a stop in a well-lit station as a happy voice said something over the loudspeakers. I surveyed the platform and saw no one in suits or uniforms, but quite a lot of unnaturally beautiful people. It looked safe enough.

But the train was not, I soon realized. As I stood up, I noticed a small black hemisphere in the center of the ceiling. Inside the hemisphere I could see the faint outlines of wires and dozens of tiny different lenses staring out in all directions. I didn't know if anyone was watching me through the hemisphere, but I knew they _could _be. And they could have been for the entire train ride. I got a chill.

Pushing past another group of passengers, I made my way onto the platform. There were at least ten other tracks, some with trains and some without. This entire room seemed to be underground, so I followed the crowd of people to an escalator at the end of the platform. To my horror, there were black camera spheres on the ceiling here too. Did the Imperial government monitor everything the citizens did? No one else seemed to mind, or even _notice_, the camera spheres. Odd. They were so obvious. I pulled up the hood of my coat even though it was warm and turned away from the camera.

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On the top floor of the station, Sulla and Octavius Bellorum waited. Sulla stared off into the distance, while his brother flipped through all the camera feeds on his eyescreen. Cressida didn't know it, but she was being watched all the way through the station. Or maybe she _had _caught on; she was certainly making an effort to keep her head down and travel in the middle of huge crowds.

"You're certainly making an effort to watch _all_ the camera feeds." Sulla commented.

"Is that a problem? I'm simply making sure she doesn't get away again."

Sulla spied a prime opportunity for teasing. "Is that it? _Maybe..._you have a bit of a crush!"

"That's...agh! That is such an immature thing to say _and_ it's not true!"

"Whatever..." Sulla rolled his eyes and grinned.

"Shut up. What are you always saying, 'focus on the assignment'? Take your own advice." They both sat in silence for a while after that.

"Your girlfriend sure is taking a while. Are you positive she's still coming this way?"

"I'm not answering that."

"Octavius"

"Fine, yes, she is still coming this way. And she is not my girlfriend." Octavius answered irritably. "In fact, there she is now. Let's go."

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I looked up nervously at the camera sphere once again. This constant observation was seriously making my skin crawl, and I could not wait to be out of this station and under the sun. But no one had jumped me so far, so that was good.

I was traveling in the center of a large crowd of oblivious pretties and keeping my head down, so I hoped anyone watching through the cameras wouldn't notice me. Well, that seemed too much to hope for, so I just wished they wouldn't be stealthy about attacking me. For what seemed like the millionth time, I checked around me, but no one was advancing. No one was even giving me a second glance.

Wait... no one except for the boy watching from behind one of the vending carts. And the girl who looked like she could be his sister keeping pace with me. The girl was only looking at me with only one eye; the other was unfocused and strange glowing lines whirled across it. Oh, this was bad. This was so bad. But... these two were ugly. Well, compared to the pretties. In the Icemark, they would have been good-looking, but here they stuck out. The girl and boy looked like they could have been warriors; well, maybe. They didn't look as if they could fight people, but they had a certain air about them. Like they could survive in the wild, and protect themselves in a pinch. They were scarred and suntanned and... younger than me. What was with them? They couldn't be working for Bellorum, all the government people I'd seen were pretties, and these two were also too young.

Or maybe they could be spies, or in disguise. Oh, Goddess, I had to get out of here right now. There! What looked like a waiting room, and at the end, stairs! Thank you! I hurried forward... and stopped dead.

Two people were walking towards me from the other end of the room. Two absolutely beautiful people in suits, with confident, arrogant smirks on their faces. I immediately recognised the messy-haired one as one of the soldiers who'd taken Sharley. Oh, no. _Do I run back into the station? Try to hide? Push past them? Stay and fight? _Oh, this was the last thing I needed. And I was _so sick_ of running from these creeps. Fight them it was. These people had kidnapped my brother, and they were going down.

But that didn't mean I couldn't trick them a little. I kept walking, staying to the side of the room and heading towards the doors. As if I meant to run away, and not stay to fight them. Maybe that would make them lower their guard.

Or maybe they wouldn't even notice me. Maybe they'd mistake me for someone else. I felt a hand grip my shoulder. Or maybe not. "We don't want to hurt you, but we will if we have to."

"You won't get the chance," I snarled, and spun around to slam my fist into my attacker's nose. Unfortunately, he didn't express any pain, only mild surprise, and I didn't hear or feel any nasal cartilage tearing. At the same time, he shifted his grip to my wrists faster than I could follow. _They were super-soldiers...but they didn't look like them...I was in over my head. I should have run. _

I twisted my wrists the way I'd been taught to make him loosen his grip. It worked - as unnatural as these people were, there were still some ways their wrists weren't designed to bend. I then jumped away from him and sprinted across the room, but Messy Hair was already waiting for me. When I turned to head in a different direction my original attacker was walking towards me, looking bored. Looks like I was getting my wish to fight them after all. I also noticed that almost everyone else in the station was staring. I was causing a scene. Good for me.

The two soldiers were taking it slow, just watching and making no effort to capture me quickly. I was cornered, and we all knew it. Just then, the two normal-looking people who had been following me arrived on the scene. _Oh, no, they've got backup_. But I was wrong, and for once in my life I was happy about it.

My first clue was when Messy Hair looked surprised and the pair of them immediately looked as if they were preparing for a fight. My second was when the girl took out this container filled with an orangey powder, loosened the lid, and whipped it at Messy Hair's face. And the powder wasn't just fancy flour either; Messy Hair screamed bloody murder and started clawing at his eyes, trying to get it out. Even at this distance my eyes teared up and my lungs burned; I didn't want to imagine what a faceful of the stuff would be like.

The boy grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the exit, holding his other hand in the air and making frantic twitching gestures with his fingers. Messy Hair's friend pulled out a long rod-like weapon with blue sparks at the tip - _this didn't look fun _- and lunged for us, but at the last second the boy pulled me to the side. Something zoomed past us and hit the guy with the spark rod in the stomach, knocking him over, then turned on its own and came to rest hovering about six inches above the floor near us. It was a floating board with stabilizer fins on each side. The boy pulled me onto the hoverboard and we shot off toward the exit with the girl following.

Messy Hair's friend was getting up, and Messy Hair had jumped, perfectly coordinated, onto a floating board of his own. "Hold on tight," the boy said, and we sped up and ascended until we were about the height of the station's roof. Both Messy Hair and his friend were following us now, and Messy Hair had a gun. Of course.

The girl shouted something and took a sharp turn, heading over the river and towards a thick forest. Messy Hair fired his gun, and the hoverboard I was on banked sharply as the boy avoided the bullet. Messy Hair was aiming for the stabilizer fins on either side of the board. Another shot, and we banked to the right this time. The boy kept his balance, but my feed slid out from under me and I would have fallen off the board if he hadn't held on tight. I'm not going to lie to you, I screamed. This was undoubtedly the scariest thing I had _ever_ done.

I held on to the boy's hand in a death grip, squeezed my eyes shut, and tried to pretend that I was back in Frostmarris. It didn't work. I started to pray.

Several frightening sharp turns and close calls later, the hoverboard slowed down. I risked opening my eyes and saw that we were in an overgrown ruin, still very high up, and the girl was waiting for us. I jumped off the board as fast as I could, but my legs collapsed as soon as I touched the ground. I was still shaking from the adrenaline of the chase and terrified that Messy Hair and his friend would find us and shoot us. I couldn't _believe_ I'd been so _stupid_. Just because they looked pretty didn't mean they weren't dangerous! I vowed to be more careful in the future.

"Are you all right?" the girl asked.

"Who the heck were those guys?" I gasped. And for that matter, "Who are _you_?"

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	6. Unexpected

**A/N: **This is sort of a bridge between the action in Chapter 5 and the action in Chapter 7, but some important stuff _does _happen. And I've decided that I _really_ enjoy writing Octavius and Sulla's dialogue. Being evil is so much fun...and so is writing chapter 7. I can't wait.

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Chapter 6 - Unexpected

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"Who the heck were those guys?" I gasped. And for that matter, "Who are _you_? How do I know I can trust you?"

"The people chasing you were Sulla and Octavius Bellorum. We aren't working for them, so that's a reason to trust us." The girl answered.

"Yes, but who are you? When they saw you they were...well, not scared, but kind of surprised."

"I'll bet they were. They were probably expecting to capture you easily. And they probably thought we were all gone."

"And...and how do you know the language of the Icemark? Why did you help me? What was that stuff you threw in Messy Hair's face, and you _still_ haven't told me who you are!" I was getting a little annoyed. More than a little. These people seemed to be deliberately avoiding my questions, which made me trust them even less.

The boy and girl looked at each other, and then the boy spoke. "I'm Ren, and this is Abby. We're Smokies." When he noticed my blank look, he went on, "The Smoke was one of the guerrilla armies that fought Bellorum after the first Icemark campaign. Special Circumstances thought we were destroyed, but we returned a few years ago and have been operating _very_ stealthily ever since. We helped you because they were trying to arrest you, and any enemy of Circumstances is a possible ally."

"And we just didn't want you to be turned," added Abby.

"_What_? I would never turn to their side!"

"We didn't mean persuaded to betray the Icemark, we meant turned pretty."

"I...what? _Turned _pretty? What do you mean?" Then I sort of realized. "I always thought it wasn't natural..."

"Sorry. We forgot that you wouldn't know what we were talking about. Here, when you turn sixteen, you get an operation that makes you completely gorgeous. Everyone can't wait. Until you get the operation, you're considered ugly. But they don't just make you beautiful, they do something to your mind. We aren't sure what. And the operation is just an excuse to get everyone under the knife, so they can do that stuff to your mind."

I shivered. That sounded like just the kind of evil thing that the Empire would do. "What do they do to everyone's brains?"

"Well, we can't be completely sure. But the operation takes away or lessens your ability to think quickly and face challenges. Everyone agrees with each other, so there's no fighting or crime. And everyone agrees with the government. The effects of the operation have changed over the years, so they might be adding something different to the new pretties' minds now. We don't know, we've never gotten anyone back to ask them."

Well, the no fighting or crime part seemed nice. Too bad they had to brainwash everyone to get it. "And when the Empire conquers a country..."

"Everyone is turned."

"But the pretties sound like pacifists, they don't mind?"

"Nope. Remember, they don't know anything about the operation's _real _effects. They think it's a noble thing, spreading our way of life. That it benefits the countries that we invade."

I really had nothing to say to that. It was all so much to absorb...that it was even _possible _was hard to get my head around! Floating cars and flying machines I could stand, but changing the way someone thought? It was _impossible_. And yet here it happened to everyone who couldn't escape. "So...the entire Smoke is made up of people under sixteen? And what about those other armies?"

"Not really. It started out that way, and we still try and recruit the uglies who've started to doubt turning pretty is all on the level. But we're all young - like, in our teens and twenties, except for Maddy. We're not really sure about the other armies. Maybe they figured it out too - but in that case everyone there would have to be pretty young too." Ren answered.

"Well...thanks. For helping me out, you know?"

"Not a problem." Abby said. "So, what brings you here, anyway? We pretty much figured out you aren't from the Empire. Icemark maybe?"

"Um...yes. I'm from the Icemark. I've come here looking for my brother, who was captured when the Army raided Old Haven a few days ago." I decided it wouldn't hurt to tell them who I was, so, "I'm Crown Princess Cressida."

Ren and Abby looked at each other. "You should be careful. _Really_ careful." Abby finally said.

"Yeah, I figured that!"

"And the brother you're trying to rescue is...Eodred, Cerdic or Charlemagne?" Ren asked.

"How do you know so much about the Icemark?!" I snapped.

"Well, we do make it a point to know about all the free countries. Some of them, like Venezzia, give us supplies and raw materials for...stuff...and we - not us, but Smokies - have been talking to Queen Thirrin for a few months now," they explained.

"And I didn't _know_?" I said indignantly.

"I guess not. If that's a problem you should probably talk to Maddy. You should come with us to see her anyway." I supposed that this Maddy was the leader of the Smoke. They spoke of her so informally, no title or anything. But whatever. Maybe it was just a Smoke thing.

"I can't. I have to save Charlemagne. Especially now that I know about the operation. Do you have any idea where he's being held?"

"That's an easy one, he's in Special Circumstances. But getting him out will be insanely hard - the whole place is guarded and crawling with Specials. You can't even get in on a hoverboard; it's a no-fly zone. And the holding cells are deep underground. We got in once a few years ago, during the war, but the girl who planned the whole thing was turned a few years ago. She's Special now."

_Well, that certainly is wonderful_, I thought. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I find that Sharley is being held in an impenetrable fortress guarded by superhuman soldiers. But wait - she said someone had gotten in. That meant I could get in too, though it would be incredibly hard. I still had a chance.

I'd just have to revise my strategy a bit.

A small stovelike thing made a pinging noise. "Want something to eat?" Abby asked, holding out a fork.

"Sure," I answered, I'm starving. But they didn't need to know that. I took the fork and all three of us shared the noodles and meat sauce that Abby had made – or reconstituted, or reheated or something like that. I was beginning to make plans to break Sharley out of the Special fortress when a small device sitting near one of the backpacks began to ping. Does everything here make pinging noises? I wondered. Ren picked up the device and checked something on a screen.

"They're using the regular Smoke frequency. Should I answer?"

Abby shrugged. "Guess so." I just watched and listened, expecting them to start speaking in Polypontian (still didn't understand) about Smoke-related things that I still didn't get. But voice that came through the small speaker didn't belong to a Smokey, not by a long shot.

"Hello, Princess Cressida…and Smokies." _Oh, no, not this again. This is really getting old._ I didn't recognize the voice, but it was cold and arrogant and had _Bellorum_ written all over it. They sounded like the guy from the station – Messy Hair's friend.

"How are you…" Abby began.

"Speaking to you? Simple really. I looked at all the intercepted Smokey transmissions, decoded the frequency and now I can listen to any transmission you send, and also send my own." Ren and Abby looked at each other as the full meaning hit them. Their enemies could now hear every transmission they send and they wouldn't know. They didn't even know how long the Empire had known their…frequency, was it? "Oh, I only wanted to speak to Princess Cressida. If we had wanted to find you, we would be at you hideout already." I hadn't known this guy for a day and already I wanted to punch him in the face.

"Alright, I'm listening."

"The only reason you're here is to rescue your little brother, the crippled one, am I right?"

"Yes," I answered, wanting to strangle him.

"Well, then. You'll be very interested in what I have to say." I didn't like where this was going. Not one bit. "I'm willing to bargain with you for his release. Meet me at the dam above Romula at sunset tomorrow. Charlemagne will be there, and you can have him back…for the right price." Now I had decided strangulation was too good for this guy. I wanted to take his lungs out with pliers. But he did say that Sharley would be out in the open…away from that impenetrable fortress…I spied an opportunity. I had no intention of bargaining with the Bellorums, but if I showed up at the dam I could, in theory, rescue Charlemagne without having to go near the fortress.

"Do you care about your brother?" the cold voice continued, "We could destroy his mind, if we wanted to. You wouldn't want that to happen. Really, it's in both of your best interests to accept my offer." I was shaking with rage. I wanted to kill this man. I would kill this man, at sunset, tomorrow night.

"I'll come," I said.

"Good choice. Sunset tomorrow night." The speaker clicked off and everything was silent. The Smokies were stunned and I was white with fury. Finally, Ren broke the silence.

"You shouldn't go; it's a trap, and the Icemark can't lose two of its royal family…"

"You can't fight Specials…" Abby added.

"Look, maybe the reason you never go anyone back is because you didn't try to rescue them! I'm going, and you can't stop me!"

"It's too dangerous! There'll be another opportunity to rescue him, something that doesn't involve sacrificing yourself."

"No, there won't. You heard what he said. If I don't go tomorrow, they'll destroy his mind. I have to." Ren and Abby just watched me sadly. I stood up and headed for the half-ruined staircase at the corner of the room. "Thank you for all your help." I descended the staircase, watching out for weak spots in the floor.

The last I heard from the Smokies was Abby's voice saying, "If you ever need to find the Smoke – if you actually save him – we're in Chellania province, near Diego. Anyone from the Icemark is welcome there."

Thank you, I thought, but when I rescue Sharley, I'll be heading straight back to the Icemark. Now that I was on the ground again, I decided to walk upriver to the dam and camp near it. Sort of stake out the place before Sharley and his captors arrived.

_Tomorrow, at sunset._

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